Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to increase funding for mental health research.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). In 2020/21, the NIHR spent £109.5 million on mental health research. We are also funding the Mental Health Research Initiative to expand current mental health research activity. The Initiative works across the NIHR’s programmes and infrastructure scheme to build the capacity and capability of mental health research in regions which are currently underrepresented. While it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions, the NIHR’s funding is available through open competition and we encourage researchers to submit applications in this area.